Asenovgrad

Asenovgrad stands where the Thracian plain meets the Rhodope Mountains, at the entrance to a historic route through the mountains towards the Aegean. Formerly known as Stanimaka, the town received its present name in 1934 in honour of Tsar Ivan Asen II. Its most recognisable monument is Asen's Fortress, also known as Petrich, on a steep ridge above the Asenitsa River south of the town.

An inscription dated 1231 records Ivan Asen II's work on the fortress. The Church of the Holy Mother of God of Petrich is its only fully preserved building, while archaeological investigations have revealed defensive walls, towers and the foundations of numerous structures. The contrast between the surviving church and the excavated remains makes the site an important witness to the region's medieval history and its strategic position between lowland and mountain routes.